Trivia

• Badminton's not-so-eligible bachelor

  U.S. badminton player Howard Bach, was named as one of People's 50 most eligible bachelors in 2004. He is currently engaged to his girlfriend of 11 years and will be married shortly after the Beijing Games.
  

• Badminton's not-so-eligible bachelor

  U.S. badminton player Howard Bach, was named as one of People's 50 most eligible bachelors in 2004. He is currently engaged to his girlfriend of 11 years and will be married shortly after the Beijing Games.
  

• America's borrowed Olympic medalist

  Gao Jun is the only member of the 2008 U.S. table tennis team with an Olympic medal -- a silver won for China in 1992.  No American has ever won a medal in the sport.
  

• Quite the haul

  Since 1988, the U.S. tennis team has won at least one medal at each Olympic Games.
  

• Sailing to the top

  With 57 Olympic medals, the U.S. is the most successful nation in Olympic sailing history. Americans have won a medal at every Games at which it competed, with the exception of the 1928 and 1936 Games.
  

• Jean Lopez

  U.S. Olympic team coach Jean was a top-ranked taekwondo player but never participated in an Olympic Games. Taekwondo was a demonstration sport in Seoul in 1988, and became a medal sport in 2000.

• A boost on the track

  In 1984, 20-year-old Steve Hegg came out of nowhere to win the 4000m individual pursuit. However, like 7 other members of the U.S. team, he participated in blood-boosting. The practice was banned in 1985.

• A rare hockey medal

  At the 1932 Los Angeles Games, the United States men won bronze in field hockey, despite being outscored 33-3 in two matches. How did they win a medal? Easy, only three nations competed in the sport.

• A medal for the natives

  The first ever triathlon following the swim-bike-run format took place in San Diego, California on September 25, 1974. Only one American has won a medal: Susan Williams won bronze in 2004.

• Diggers needed

  Every volleyball team features one player wearing a different colored jersey: the libero, a defensive specialist adept at digging. The libero is not allowed to serve, spike the ball, or to rotate into one of the front-row positions.

• Like mother, like daughter

  Ronda Rousey became only the second woman to ever medal at the judo world championships, winning silver in 2007.  The only other woman to do so?  Her mother, AnnMaria Rousey, who won gold in 1984. 

• Beach bragging rights

  In beach volleyball, the United States (five total medals) has won gold at each of the three Olympics in which the sport has been contested.

• True multi-sport enthusiast

  Sheila Taormina is a modern pentathlete and is the first female Olympic athlete to compete in three different sports. She previously competed in swimming ('96) and triathlon ('00 & '04).

• Olympian parents

  Both parents of 2004 Olympic sabre champion Mariel Zagunis, Robert and Cathy, competed in the rowing competition at the 1976 Montreal Games.
  

• Teen apprenticeship

  As a 14-year-old, U.S. water polo player Tony Azevedo lent his services as a poolside ball-boy at the 1996 Olympics in Atlanta.
  

• Georgia gold

  The United States captured the inaugural gold in women's soccer at the 1996 Atlanta Games.
  

• Team handball?

  The Americans have never won a medal in Olympic team handball. Their best finish was in 1984, when the women tied for fourth out of six teams.
  

• Age is a trivial matter

  The youngest female lifter to win an Olympic medal is Cheryl Haworth, who was 17 years, 156 days when she captured bronze in the super-heavyweight class in Sydney in 2000.

• Identical golds

  At the 1992 Games, U.S. synchronized swimmers and identical twins Karen and Sarah Josephson won gold in the duet. Ironically that same year, Canada won silver with a team of identical twins, Penny and Vicky Vilagos.
  

• Equal opportunity shooting

  It wasn't until 1984 before women had their own shooting events, so when Margaret Murdock won silver in 1976, she bested female and male competitors to earn the medal.
  

• Ending a 40-year drought

  When the U.S. men's eight won rowing gold in Athens, it was the first time that the American men had won the event since 1964.
  

• Golden Oldie

  Pat McDonald won the 56-pound weight throw at the 1920 Antwerp Games when he was 42 years, 23 days -- making him the oldest track and field gold medalist in Olympic history.
  

• Twice the Pace

  American Darrell Pace is the only archer to own two individual gold medals in the modern era of Olympic archery since 1972. He won gold in 1976 and 1984.
  

• A complicated gold

  In 1988, American Greg Barton and Australian Grant Davies paddled a close race in the K-1 1000m. After the examining the photo finish, Barton was determined the victor, making him the first American paddler to win gold.
  

• Lucky 13

  American Marjorie Gestring, who was 13 years, 268 days old when she won springboard gold in 1936, is the youngest ever diving gold medalist.
  

• Most golds by a female swimmer

  American Jenny Thompson holds the record for most gold medals won by a female swimmer. She won eight golds over three Olympics -- all of which came in relays.
  

• Trampoline history

  The trampoline event made its Olympic debut in Sydney 2000. The American women have qualified three times, but the Beijing Games mark the first time the American men will participate.
  

• Most times participating in the Olympics

  The record for most Olympic appearances by an American athlete is seven. Mike Plumb competed in equestrian from 1960-1976, then again in 1984 and 1992.

• Summer Games in the United States

  Three different U.S. cities have played host to the Summer Olympics: St. Louis (1904), Los Angeles (1932, 1984) and Atlanta (1996). Chicago is a candidate to stage the 2016 Games.

• Most Golds, American man

  Entering the 2008 Olympics, the record for most gold medals won by an American man is 9, shared by Mark Spitz (swimming) and Carl Lewis (track and field).

• Rhythmic gem

  In a sport dominated by eastern Europeans, the best Olympic finish for the U.S. in rhythmic gymnastics came from Mary Sanders, who placed 14th in Athens.
  

• No 'Dream Team' in baseball

  The United States Olympic baseball team does not have the luxury of its basketball counterparts and cannot draw from anyone on a Major League Baseball 25-man roster.
  

• Women's all-around champions

  Both sixteen at the time, Mary Lou Retton in 1984 and Carly Patterson in 2004 are the only American women to claim Olympic all-around gold in gymnastics.